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By Allyssa Jade Acevedo

California lawmaker Ian Calderon has proposed a bill that would make plastic straws illegal to be distributed by restaurant staff unless requested. The consequence? It could land them a hefty fine of up to $1,000 or even jail time!

Calderon has stressed in a recent tweet that this bill is “NOT a ban… should it become law, it will NOT make it a crime for servers to provide plastic straws. My intention is simply to raise awareness about the detrimental effects of plastic straws on our environment.”

While his bill may sound extreme to many, it does come at a time where our planet is being completely overwhelmed by plastic waste. And that waste is lining the floors of even the deepest, darkest parts of our oceans, floating on top of our seas, lakes and rivers, and filling the stomachs of both sea and land animals all across the planet.

It’s waste that does not biodegrade, and it is a serious problem. It is extremely important that some sort of action is taken, but whether or not this bill is the right sort of action, it is hard to tell. That aside, it is absolutely a step in the right direction.